The day will begin with a ghost bike ceremony at 12:30 pm, followed by a vigil and silent march from the State House to City Hall to demand swifter action to prevent traffic deaths.

We know you are angry and sad about recent fatalities on our streets. So are we. These kinds of tragedies are avoidable with better, proactive planning and policy. Stand with us to show that life-saving infrastructure improvements cannot wait.

While Boston has made some progress toward reducing injurious crashes, change has not come quickly enough. In 2017, there were 1,162 cyclist and pedestrian incidents that prompted an EMS response — or more than 3 per day. Meanwhile, Boston’s bike fatality rate continues to be higher than the rates in comparable cities. (It’s one reason Boston fell this year to #20 in Bicycling Magazine’s ranking of the best bike cities in America.)

Friday’s fatal crash, in which a dump truck driver hit and killed BU graduate student Meng Jin as he biked near the Museum of Science, serves as another devastating reminder of the dangers posed by deadly street design. (A ghost bike ceremony will be held on Sunday before the rally and demonstration; for more information and to RSVP head here.)

On Sunday, members of the Coalition will be placing silhouettes at crash sites throughout the Boston area, as well as statewide, as part of the #CrashNotAccident awareness campaign. Crashes are not accidents — they’re the tragic, preventable results of inadequate planning and policy. People make mistakes; our streets must be designed so those mistakes are not fatal. Please join us to ensure that these lives are not forgotten and to demand safe streets for all in our communities.

Please dress warmly and wear yellow in remembrance of those we’ve lost to traffic crashes.

We also encourage you to invite your elected state and local representatives. Show them the human toll of dangerous street design and urge them to support Vision Zero. You can find your city legislators here, and your state legislators here.

Help us spread the word via social media by using the following hashtags before and during the event: #WDoR2018 #CrashNotAccident #SafetyOverSpeed #VisionZero

The vast majority of these traffic crashes are preventable through engineering, education and enforcement. In numbers, we can recognize our loved ones, and also demand action from our elected officials.

We hope to see you there on Sunday, November 18th.

The post World Day of Remembrance, Sunday Nov. 18 appeared first on Boston Cyclists Union.

Last Friday we lost a member of our community. Meng Jin was killed while biking on the Craigie Bridge near the Museum of Science. He was a grad student at Boston University studying economics and had just arrived in Cambridge two months ago to start school. We cannot imagine the pain and grief his family is now going through. Our hearts go out to them.

MassDOT and DCR were told a long time ago that this bridge badly needs bicycle infrastructure, something which is obvious to anyone who tries to commute across it. They promised to work on it after the Longfellow bridge project completed earlier this year, but it never happened. Meng is dead because MassDOT and DCR prioritized six lanes of motor vehicle traffic over safe bike infrastructure.

While we can’t bring him back, we can tell our governments that this isunacceptable and that these deaths are preventable. While the Craigie Bridge is under DCR jurisdiction, Cambridge has control over most of the roads leading up to the Craigie Bridge and a responsibility to keep people safe on them. Furthermore, the O’Brien Highway is identified as requiring protected bicycle lanes in the Cambridge Bike Plan, and Cambridge must work to build out its plan for 20 miles of protected bike lanes—including proactively engaging with state agencies—to prevent future injuries and deaths.

ACTIONS

1. Attend the World Day of Remembrance this Sunday, Nov 18 at 2pm at the Massachusetts State House, and Ghost Bike Ceremony at 12:30pm near Museum of Science.

We will gather to mourn the people who have died on our roads this year and to tell our elected officials that protected bike lanes save lives. We will not accept any more heartless trade-offs in our streets.

Please tell everyone you know about this, including your elected officials, both local and state. We need a huge turnout to show our elected officials that many people care deeply about this, and that their decisions affect the lives of many people. Please attend this event if at all possible.

Earlier that day there is a ghost bike ceremony in memory of Meng Jin. Meet us at 12:30pm at the intersection of Charles River Dam Road and Museum way, near the Museum of Science where Meng Jin was killed. After the ceremony we will ride to the World Day of Remembrance event at the State House.

We want them to stand with us at the World Day of Remembrance so that they can hear the stories of people who are closest to the pain and learn from them.

We want them to support rapidly building out the city’s own plan for 20 miles of protected bike lanes because protected bike lanes save lives.

3. Email your state representatives (find them here) and tell them:

We want them to stand with us at the World Day of Remembrance. Their support is crucial for making changes happen at the state level.

If the State House acts quickly there is a chance they can pass the piece of the bike omnibus bill which requires state and state-contracted trucks to have safety side-guards and convex mirrors. Tell your state representative that they should help pass this bill to keep us safe around trucks. (Only the State House can help here; the State Senate has already passed this bill.)

Every death leaves our community hurting and scared. We will work together to make sure our streets show compassion instead of violence.

We wanted to update you on a few new action items for safer streets but first, a reminder about our petition campaign! We want to show city officials that people throughout Cambridge support a safe, connected network of protected bike lanes. Sign the petition here if you haven’t already and share widely!

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1. Act Now for a Protected Lane on River Street – and an Implementation Plan for the Citywide Network

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This Monday, there are two key bike related items on the Council’s agenda.

First, the City Manager is requesting funds to update the implementation plan of the bike network (see the second ask on our petition!) Additionally, there is also a request for a protected bike lane on River Street. Take action, more details below.

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ACTION ? Email council@cambridgema.gov, ldepasquale@cambridgema.gov, and cc clerk@cambridgema.gov and info@cambridgebikesafety.org and (1) request the council to approve the budget allocation for an implementation plan for the citywide bike network, and (2) let them know that the reconstruction of River Street MUST include a safe, protected bike lane.

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If you can make it please show up on Monday Nov 5, 5:30pm at City Hall to speak in support of the budget item and policy order. Sign up to speak here or in person.

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The implementation plan for a citywide bike network is potentially quite important, as this could provide a blueprint for implementation of the full bike network within 5 years, as our petition requests. We need to make sure that the council approves this budget item, and that the implementation plan the City comes back with lays out how a complete, safe, connected network of protected bike lanes across the city can be built ASAP.

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The city is rebuilding River Street in 2020 and they have the opportunity to include a protected bike lane. Since River Street goes inbound it would complement the Western Ave protected lane, providing a key connection to and from the Charles River paths.

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On Monday November 5th the City Council will vote on a policy order specifically requesting a protected bike lane as part of the River Street reconstruction. The order was originally scheduled for this week but it was delayed by Councilor Simmons.

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Also, as part of the redesign, they will be forming a working group of stakeholders and thank you to everyone who applied to help advocate for safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure!

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2. Ask your employer to sign on to our business platform

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Local business support can be crucial in getting safe bike infrastructure built. Many employers recognize that a protected bike lane network would be a great asset to Cambridge as well as providing safe transportation for their customers and employees. All we need to do is ask for their support!

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If you work in Cambridge, see here for instructions to ask your employer to sign onto our business platform supporting safe bike infrastructure.

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3. Other updates:

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Read the beautiful remembrance written by friends of JJ Zhao who was tragically struck and killed by a dump truck driver in early October while she was walking at Putnam Ave and Magazine St.

World Day of Remembrance: This Nov 18 is the World Day of Remembrance. Come to the State House in Boston at 2pm to mourn the people who were killed on our streets this year. Last year’s event was a powerful reminder that the number of pedestrians and cyclists who were killed is much higher than you expect and that urgent action is needed to correct this public health crisis. After the vigil there will be a bike ride and a march to demand safer streets.

In addition to signing onto our business platform, two local businesses Industry Lab and Synapse Energy Economics also took the additional crucial step of emailing the city to express how important a protected bike lane network is to them (read Synapse Energy Economics’ statement here). Thanks Industry Lab and Synapse Energy Economics for supporting safe bike infrastructure!

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Industry Lab is a co-working space located in the vibrant hub of Inman Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Inhabiting nearly 20,000 square feet of a historical brick building with wood floors and lots of windows, Industry Lab is a neighborhood for artists, engineers, scientists, and designers to co-exist and collaborate.

Election Day in Massachusetts is Tuesday, November 6th, and Bluebikes is hosting a Free Ride Day to help you get to your polling location. Grab a free Adventure Pass from the Bluebikes app on Election Day by using code BIKETOVOTE: gift codes to redeem at a Bluebikes kiosk will be made available from our website before Election Day. The Adventure Pass includes unlimited 2-hour trips for a 24-hour period, so you can #BiketoVote in style on Election Day.

Once you have your free pass, head over to our Bike to Vote Guide to find a Bluebikes station near your voting site.

The early voting period is open until Friday, November 2nd. Head over to our early voting blog post to learn more about how you can cast your vote. You don’t need a reason to vote early, you just need to be a resident of the municipality where you cast your vote. If you have any questions on how to vote early or find your polling location, stop by and speak to one of our ambassadors at our Bike to Vote Pop-up Event next week:

Boston City Hall Plaza | Thursday, November 1st | 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Let’s Go on a Boo-Bikes Ride: Halloween Edition

Celebrate Halloween and take Bluebikes to one of the many spooky events popping up across Metro Boston. From cheese and candy tastings to exploring historic graveyards in Boston, there is so much to do. We put together some of our favorite Halloween events and activities to attend across Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville. Check out our Halloween Guide, and hop on a bike today.

Now in a Neighborhood Near You

You may have noticed our new stations in more neighborhoods across Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville. Here is a look back on some of the major new updates and milestones for the Bluebikes system:

60+ New Stations

2,000+ Additional Docks

800+ Bikes Added to Fleet

Record Day: September 9th, 9,974 Rides

Pop-Quiz Time: Want the chance to win free one-month membership extension? With 800 additional bikes in the field, how many additional wheel spokes have been added to our fleet? Leave your guess on this form by midnight on Thursday, November 8. The closest guess will be announced on Friday, November 9.

Closing Out Women’s Bike Month

Women’s Bike and Brunch

A little rain could not put a damper on our Women’s Bike Month close-out celebrations. The event kicked off with brunch and networking at Lucy’s American Tavern on Saturday, October 27th. With weather in our favor, we closed out the weekend with a leisurely ride along the Neponset River Greenway on Sunday, taking in the peak fall foliage.

Thank you to all the amazing women that came out to support the event: this is the first of many rides to come! Head over to our blog and check out the full recap and see additional photos.

Behind-the-Scenes Feature: Lindsey

Lindsey has been with the Bluebikes team since 2013. With a little bit of experience in every department, she now serves as the Bluebikes Field Staff Manager:

“I’ve been most excited about collaborating with other departments to help make the expansion into Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roslindale a success. It’s exciting to see bike share in Boston reaching different neighborhoods.”

Head over to the Bluebikes blog and check out Lindsey’s full feature. Interested in joining the Bluebikes team? We’re hiring.

As Women’s Bike Month 2018 wraps up, we took some time to recap all of the amazing women that we featured throughout the month. Check out the #WBM2018 blog post to learn more about some of the women who bike in Metro Boston, and staff members that keep the Bluebikes system rolling.

Bike and Brunch, This Weekend!

Due to stormy skies in the forecast, the Women’s Bike Month group ride has been moved to Sunday, October 27th. Don’t worry! We’re still ending Women’s Bike Month 2018 with a bang with a weekend-long celebration for women. The festivities kick off Saturday, October 27th with a networking brunch, and conclude with a group ride along the Neponset River Greenway in Mattapan. You don’t want to miss out!

Part 1: Networking Brunch

Where: Lucy’s American Tavern| 13 Granite Ave, Dorchester

When: Saturday, October 27th | 11:00 a.m – 2:00

The weekend kicks off with our Women’s Networking Brunch. Food will be served buffet style, and we’ll have lots of giveaways including a specialty branded Bluebikes helmet, Bluebikes membership discounts, and fun plant favors (courtesy of the Urban Farming Institute). You don’t want to miss out on the fun! Just fill out this form to let us know if you’re coming.

Part 2: Women’s Ride

Where: Mattapan T Stop Station

When: Sunday, October 28th | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m

The group ride will start and end at the Mattapan T Stop Station, and travel along the beautiful Neponset River Greenway – which includes a protected bike lane that is perfect for a leisurely ride.

All riders are welcome, you just need to know how to ride a bike. Bluebikes will be provided for riders who RSVP.<

The rally last week was amazing! With more than 175 of us gathering on City Hall lawn, we sent a clear message that Cambridge needs to do a lot more to make its streets safe for those biking and walking. But there’s a lot more work to do to make this a reality.

If you’re feeling energized by the rally, or if you had to miss it but want to get involved in pushing for a safe and equitable transportation system in Cambridge, we are holding a fun introductory event this week that you don’t want to miss: “CBS 101”. Come meet others pushing for safe streets, learn about Cambridge Bike Safety’s history and current efforts, and find out how you can get involved in ways large and small.

After more than ten years, our award winning Bike Shop is moving out of 18 Bartlett Square in Jamaica Plain when our lease expires at the end of this year in December. In our recent Letter from the Director we shared our plan to move the Shop into the Brewery building with our Hub at 284 Amory Street providing increased visibility in an established business environment where we plan to build a seamless connection between our Bike Shop and Youth Pathways. By integrating our space, we plan to diversify apprenticeships for teens and increase participation among women, girls, and vulnerable communities in many aspects of our social enterprise beyond mechanics, including retail management, accounting, marketing, and leadership development. We plan to continue providing youth with income, tangible skills, connections to others and a safe space to grow as we recognize our full potential as a Bike Shop and Training Center for Youth, while continuing to feature expert mechanic services, refurbished bicycles, parts and accessories, and increased access to clinics on bicycle safety and mechanics. Please check our Unite Under One Roof FAQs, as we continue to share updates on our plan’s progress.

Photo by Chris Leong

How You Can Help

Use the bicycle as a vehicle for social change.

It has never been more crucial to take action to stop climate change, and we are proud to be an organization that has been able to put both environmental sustainability and social justice at the forefront of what we do each and every day. Our commitment to keeping thousands of bicycles out of the waste stream by giving these bikes a new life and continued value whether shipped internationally or refurbished locally by our youth and shop staff means that more underserved communities have access to environmentally friendly means of transportation, mutually benefitting both the earth and its inhabitants.

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Donate now.

Donating to support our mission is the best way you can ensure that Bikes Not Bombs’ Youth Pathways, International Partnerships and Bike Shop programs continue to grow. If each of the recipients of this e-newsletter donated just $10 today, we would be able to realize the dream of our Hub and Shop integration more fully by next year.

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Shop our fall sale.

This weekend, Friday, October 19th 1pm-6:30pm, Saturday, October 20th 9am-4pm, and Sunday, October 21st 12pm-4pm, we will be having a Fall Sale at the Bike Shop.Everything (except service, repairs and labor) will be 15% off. This includes:

refurbished and new bikes

used and new parts

accessories

apparel

The more you buy, the less we have to move. Every dollar you spend at the Bike Shop will help ensure our local youth programs and international partnership work continues to thrive. Every time you buy a refurbished bike, you keep a bike out of the waste stream and give it a new life.

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Take this short survey about our Bike Shop.

We value your feedback! By taking this short survey about our Bike Shop, you will help us understand what kinds of bikes and gear you’re looking for and how we may improve to serve your needs… and you just might win a BNB T-shirt! Please contact our Director of Learning and Evaluation, René Milet at rene@bikesnotbombs.org with any questions regarding this survey.

CELEBRATE BIKE TO WORK DAY WITH MAYOR WALSH AND BLUE BIKES!

Register now for Boston’s National Bike to Work Day Festival on Friday May 18, the City’s annual celebration of bicycling hosted by the Boston Transportation Department!

This year, Mayor Walsh will be joined by Andrew Dreyfus, the President and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, to celebrate the rebranding of our public bike share system as Blue Bikes. The new brand recognizes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as the new title sponsor of the publicly-owned system, which we’re expanding this year.

You can join one of a dozen bike convoys at stops all across the Boston area or ride over on your own. When you arrive at City Hall Plaza, you’ll be greeted by bike-friendly exhibitors and free breakfast provided by Clif Bar, High Brew Coffee, Iggy’s Bread of the World, and Whole Foods – Charles River Plaza. You must pre-register for the event in order to be eligible to receive a limited edition 2018 Bike to Work Day shirt. Shirts will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Blue Bikes members can receive Blue Bikes sunglasses. Registration, a map of the convoys, and other event details can be found at boston.gov/bike-to-work-day.

LEARN TO RIDE AT A WOMEN’S LEARN-TO-RIDE CLINIC

Are you a Boston resident who identifies as female or gender-nonconforming? Do you want to learn to ride a bike or sharpen existing bike skills? If so, you’re invited to participate in the Boston Transportation Department’s free clinics. The “Basic Skills” clinics are for you if you’ve never ridden a bike before, haven’t been on a bike for years, or can ride a little but need to build basic skills like starting, stopping, turning, and hand signaling. “Intro to Street Skills” clinics are for you if you have the basics down, but want to build your confidence riding on the street. Pre-registration is required for all clinics. Bikes and helmets are provided upon request. Find more information at boston.gov/women-bike.

LEARN ABOUT BIKE SHARE AT A BOSTON BY BIKE(SHARE) RIDE

Are you a resident of Boston who is interested in the region’s public bike share system but haven’t yet tried it out? Join one of four Boston by Bike(share) events hosted by the Boston Transportation Department this year. These events are a great way to try bike share for free and learn more about the different membership options available. An experienced ride leader will take you on a group bike ride through the neighborhood, traveling along comfortable on- and off-street routes. Helmets will be provided and participants should be a minimum of 16 years old. Information about our Boston by Bike(share) events can be found at boston.gov/bikes.

East Boston by Bike(share) | Wednesday, June 27, 6 pm – 8 pm

South Boston by Bike(share) | Wednesday, July 18, 6 pm – 8 pm

Dorchester by Bike(share) | Wednesday, August 22, 6 pm – 8 pm

Roxbury and South End by Bike(share) | Wednesday, September 19, 6 pm – 8 pm

RIDE CONNECT HISTORIC BOSTON WITH US

Connect Historic Boston (CHB) is an initiative between the City of Boston and the National Park Service to link historic sites through downtown Boston. While construction on the full project continues, the Boston Transportation Department will be able to take people on a ride of the substantially-complete bike trail.

Meet us on June 22 at 5:30 pm at South Station. We’ll ride along the CHB Trail, and make a few stops along the way to discuss the project. The ride will take approximately one hour and will end near a Red Line T stop.

Don’t have a bike? A limited number of Blue Bikes (formerly known as Hubway) will be available. Please be sure to register if you want to ride a Blue Bike. Registration is optional for riders who have their own bikes, but does help us in planning. All riders will need to sign a waiver. Helmets will be required.

Today is the day. We are rallying in Porter Square to say two deaths in one square is too many, that these and other road fatalities were preventable with better infrastructure, and that we want #SafeStreetsNow. We want life-saving improvements to the current redesign of Porter Square and greater action to build out a city-wide protected network within 5 years.

Join us for an evening of action in the heart of one of Cambridge’s busiest intersections. The Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band will be playing, and we will hear stories from a number of community members impacted by poor infrastructure. We will end with a massive people-protected bike lane on Somerville Ave and Mass Ave in a show of solidarity for vulnerable road users.